The Reason
by tattoohero
Summary: This is a one shot about Liara telling Kaidan how Shepard ended up with Cerberus.  I have it set during Mass Effect 3 after Liara joins the Normandy.  This is my canon Shepard that I used in The Aftermath.


**The Reason**

This is a one-shot between Kaidan and Liara about why Liara gave Shepard's body to Cerberus.

The Normandy SR-2 is now an Alliance vessel and it's in route to Hagalaz to pick up the Shadow Broker, Dr. Liara T'Soni. Staff Commander Kaidan Alenko didn't understand why Commander Shepard was going to Hagalaz. As far as Kaidan knew, there isn't anything on that planet. Oceans boil during the day and snap freezes ten minutes after sundown. No one lives in that type of environment. Or so Alenko thought anyway. Kaidan just didn't understand why Shepard went alone. Wasn't the Shadow Broker powerful and dangerous? How did Shepard know about this place any? How, was all Kaidan could think of while the shuttle left the Normandy.

Roughly three hours later, Commander Shepard returns to the Normandy with Dr. T'Soni in tow. Staff Commander Alenko is now even more confused. _When did Dr. T'Soni become the Shadow Broker? That makes no sense. Everyone thought the Shadow Broker was male, not an asari. What is going on?_Those where the only thoughts going through his mind right now and the Spectre needed answers. "Welcome back, Commander. Welcome, Dr. T'Soni," was all about Kaidan could manage to say. Liara just smiled at him, "Thank you, Comander Alenko. Congratulations on being coming a Spectre."

"Thanks, doctor," retorts Alenko. He is still very confused and has that look on his face. _She has changed so much in the past few years. She doesn't even seem like the same person. _Except_ she still has eyes for Shepard. That much is certain. _ That thought brought a slight smile to Kaidan's face.

Kaidan had heard a few rumors about how Shepard ended up with Cerberus, but he didn't know if those rumors were true or not. There was only one way he was going to find that information was to ask the one person he thought had those answers, Dr. T'Soni. It was just a gut feeling, but for some reason Alenko felt Liara did know how his friend, Commander Shepard ended up working for Cerberus. He didn't like it one bit. There wasn't anything he could do about it now. The Commander was back with the Alliance and that is what matter most. That and stopping the Reapers. He still was going to find out what happened to Shepard after the Normandy was destroyed. Nothing makes sense to him and it has been bothering him since he was on Horizon.

"Kaidan, I have a favor to ask of you," says Shepard. "Sure thing, Commander, what is it?" "Liara needs your quarters because of the terminals located in them. I know it is your quarters, but I would like for you to move to another living quarter. I will create one for you if needed."_ Why do I need to move? T'Soni could just bunk in your quarter, Shepard. You have a private terminal there as well as mine quarters has one. _"Sure, Commander, anything you need. Can you explain to me why?" Alenko asks. After a slight pause, Shepard responds, "Liara needs to work and she can't do that in the crew quarter." "What about your quarters?" "We talked about that before we left to come back to the Normandy. Liara wants a room to herself, so she can continue to keep working." "Anything you need, Commander. Where do I put my stuff?", a confused Kaidan responded. "The Port Observation still has a bed in it, does it not?", asks Shepard. Kaidan nods his head yes in response, "I will go and get my stuff now, Commander." Kaidan salutes Shepard then turns and heads towards the elevator.

Kaiden is packing up his stuff when Liara walked into the room. "I'm sorry, Kaidan. I didn't know Shepard was going to have you move from your quarter. She just told me not to worry about it and that she would find a place for me to work. If I'd known she meant for you to move, I would have moved into her quarters. She didn't think that was a good idea right now. I sorta agree with her." Kaidan smirked some then responded, "It's okay, doctor. I understand. Sorta of, but I don't understand how you were on a ship orbiting Hagalaz. Care to explain that one to me?" Liara just looked at him unsure if she should really tell him, "Well, Shepard helped me killed the Shadow Broker." Kaidan's eyes almost bulged out of his sockets, "What? You and Shepard did what? Why?" _How do you explain this without going into too much detail. You know how he reacted to Shepard at Horizon and we don't need that response again. Suppose he deserves to know. Shepard and him seem on better terms now than how she felt after Horizon. _"Are you sure you want to know? It's not known by very many and it really needs to stay that way, Commander." "I understand, doctor. I know how to keep secrets. I am a Spectre after all, " flashed a smile on Kaidan's face. Liara smiled back, "You might want to sit down, Commander. It's a sorta long story and I want to tell you everything. I think you deserve to know everything." Liara tosses her bad on the bed then takes a seat on the couch and Kaidan joins her.

"I'm going to tell you everything, Commander. I think I owe you that much. Watching Shepard get spaced was the hardest thing I've seen in my life, Kaidan," Liara couldn't look him in the eyes as she said that. A little tear swelled up in her eyes thinking about losing Shepard that day. "I know how you feel. It gutted me too, doctor," was Kaidan's response. "I went looking for Shepard's body. I wasn't the only one looking for her, Kaidan," again Liara can't look him in the eyes, but she kept going. "I was looking for her along with Cerberus and the Shadow Broker. The Shadow Broker hired the Blue Suns and they wanted to know why I was looking for Shepard. I never did tell them. Not long after that is when I ran into operatives from Cerberus." Kaidan places his hand on T'Soni's shoulder, "It's okay, Liara." Then he squeezed it gently to let her know it was okay. Liara sighs softly then continues, "That is when I met Miranda Lawson. She took me to see The Illusive Man and he informed me that the Shadow Broker was going to sell Shepard's body to the Collectors." Liara paused to see Kaidan's reaction. Alenko's jaw just dropped in shock, "You...you...you mean Shepard almost went to the Collectors? Why? Do you even know?" This news was something that Alenko never knew and was stunned after hearing it from the asari.

T'Soni kept her eyes on the human Spectre, "Yes, the Collectors and no, I never found out why. I can take a guess they wanted to study her body. I'm not really sure." Kaidan still sitting there in disbelief in what he is hearing, "How many people know this? Does Shepard know?" Liara inhales deeply and exhales slowly to calm herself. She has tried to not think about that whole ordeal since taking out the Shadow Broker and her reunion with Shepard. "Yes, I've told Shepard. There is more, Kaidan. I had help from a drell that double crossed the Shadow Broker with Cerberus and betrayed me more than once while looking for Shepard. I screwed up and the Broker's people caught him and because of that I was able to get Shepard's body away from the Shadow Broker and the Collectors. He sacrificed himself because he didn't want the Collectors to get Shepard's body." Kaidan just sat there listening to Dr. T'Soni's story and can't believe what he was hearing, "How did Cerberus end up with Shepard, doctor?" Liara was unsure on how to answer that. She was afraid that he would hate her for it, just like she was afraid that Shepard would never forgive her.

"I am the reason Shepard was with Cerberus, Commander. I'm sorry, but Ms. Lawson and The Illusive Man told me they would bring Shepard back. I did it for Shepard not for Cerberus. I knew they would use her for their own needs and they did. I am sorry about that, I really am, but I couldn't let her go, Kaidan. I just couldn't," Liara covers her face with her hands while a few tears stream down her cheek. Alenko got off the couch and had a slight angry tone in his voice, "You're the reason? You're the reason why people think Shepard betrayed the Alliance and the Council. I know the Council reinstated Shepard's Spectre status out of good faith, but how dare you." Kaidan went to walk out of the room when Liara spoke up, "Wait, please. Let me finish. I've never truly forgiven myself for what I did, Commander. Deep down, I knew that Shepard was the only one that could stop the Reapers. What I did was selfish and I was afraid the whole time that Shepard would hate me for it, but she forgave me. I hope you can do the same. Shepard helped me take out the Shadow Broker and rescue Feron, the drell, I told you about. That is how I ended up on that ship orbiting Hagalaz. That is the Shadow Broker's base. The reason I am here now is because Cerberus and The Illusive Man knows I am the Shadow Broker and Shepard fears that they will come after me to get to her. I so sorry, Commander."

After hearing Liara's story, Kaidan grabbed his stuff and left. He needed time to process what T'Soni told him. It made sense in a way. The asari was right about one thing. Shepard is the only one that can stop the Reapers. She is the one that can get the rest of the galaxy to aid Earth before it's completely destroyed. Alenko just needed time. Time was the one thing they didn't have much of. Earth was being ravaged by the Reapers as they spoke and Shepard would be the one to stop them. _Damn it, T'Soni. I wanted to know why Shepard was with Cerberus, but I never ever thought you were the reason for it. You are right about one thing. Shepard is the one that can stop this. She keeps doing the impossible. I might be able to forgive you one day. Maybe in the future we can laugh about it, but damn it right now I just can't. _Alenko walks into the Port Observation room and starts to put his stuff away.

A few minutes later, Shepard walks in to check on Alenko. "You okay, Kaidan? Liara just told me she told you how I ended up with Cerberus. Right now, we can't have problems between you two. If you have a problem with her, come to me with it. Or tell me now and we can deal with right now. We have to focus our attention on the Reapers. I forgave her. You seem to have forgiven me for being with Cerberus, but I never once trusted The Illusive Man, but damn it. The Alliance and the Council both seemed to ignore my warning and now look what is going on. Our homeworld is under attack and the Alliance wasn't prepared for it like they should have been," bellowed Shepard to Kaidan. He just looked at her, "I know. Right now I am just angry. Give me a few days to process what Dr. T'Soni told me. I didn't like you being with Cerberus, but now I understand what happened. I promise, I will work with her like I did when hunting Seran." Shepard nodded then turned and left the room heading back to talk to Liara.


End file.
